


The Life He Always Wanted

by fangirlingtodeath513



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, M/M, Past Lisa Braeden/Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-11
Updated: 2017-01-11
Packaged: 2018-09-16 19:26:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9286406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirlingtodeath513/pseuds/fangirlingtodeath513
Summary: Dean Winchester has a habit of hiding from all the things he's always wanted. He did it when Castiel rejected him in Purgatory, and when he pushed Castiel to wipe Ben and Lisa's memories of him after Lisa's near-death experience. When he gets a mysterious call in the middle of the night that gives him the opportunity to have something he's always wanted, will he accept the second chance, or hide from it all over again?





	

**Author's Note:**

> So this was supposed to be a short fic but now it's over 5.7K words and I don't even feel a little bad. This is the first longer fic I've done and I'm SUPER proud of it. 
> 
> THIS FIC IS UN-BETAD. Let me know if you find any errors somewhere, it'll be very much appreciated.
> 
> Note: This fic is canon-divergent. In this universe, Dean never took on the Mark, Castiel never got his grace back, and Sam was never possessed by Ezekial. Castiel lives in the Bunker and is learning to be a hunter with the Winchesters. The Winchesters also decided to open the Bunker up to hunters for access to the library and a place to stay rather than a moldy old motel room or a car. Dean and Castiel have been together since a few days after Castiel turned up at the Bunker as a human. The spell to cast the angels out failed, and there's no immediate threat to the world, so they boys are able to finally take it easy.

            The shrill ring of Dean’s phone was the thing that woke him. He blinked wearily at it, grabbing it off his nightstand and glancing at the unknown number, letting out a soft sigh and answering it. “You better have a damn good reason for calling me at two in the morning.”

 

“Dean? Is that you?” Dean’s eyes widen and he sits up carefully as Castiel starts to shift in the bed next to him. He pulls on a pair of sweatpants and an old sweatshirt and makes his way to the Bunker’s library.

 

“Yeah, this is Dean. Who’s this? What’s wrong?” He makes himself a mug of coffee, leaning against the counter. The silence on the other end worries him, but just as he grabs his mug of coffee, the voice on the other end starts talking.

 

“It’s, um… Ben. I’m not sure if you remember me, but… You and my mom dated.” Dean nearly drops his mug as every muscle in his body freezes up. Ben Braeden. The little boy who’d become like a son to him. The little boy who’d had his mind wiped by the fallen angel currently asleep in Dean’s bed. He shouldn’t be calling, he shouldn’t even remember Dean. “It’s fine if you don’t remember me, I just… need your help. I know you hunt monsters, and… I think there’s something coming after the people in my town.”

 

Dean doesn’t realize how much pain he’s feeling until he hears it in his own voice as he speaks. “I remember you. Of course I remember you. Of course I’ll help.” He grips the mug tighter, walking to one of the tables in the library. He sets the mug down carefully, grabbing the laptop off one of the desks and setting it in front of him, sitting down. “What’s going on?”

 

“I don’t know, it’s just… weird. It’s like everyone’s depressed. They’re fine one day, and then the next they’re not acting like themselves. They’re… quiet, and tired, and they can’t focus on anything. And then they just… wither away. Like they didn’t want to live. No one understands it.”

 

Dean scrubs a hand over his face. “Yeah, sounds like something weird’s going on. Where are you guys living now?”

 

“Glendale. Outside of St. Louis, Missouri.”

 

Dean jots down the address Ben gives him, taking down his phone number as well.  “Listen, I’m gonna do some research and as soon as it’s morning, I’ll head over, okay? It’ll take me about eight hours, so I’ll be there tomorrow night. You think you’ll be okay until then?”

 

“Yeah. I’ll be okay. Just… Hurry. Please.” He hangs up with Ben after saying their goodbyes, setting his phone aside and pulling the laptop towards him, searching through the Glendale newspapers. He prints out the articles he finds that match what Ben was describing, reading through them and marking down what he thinks is important.

 

*          *          *

            Castiel wakes up alone, Dean’s side of the bed cold, like he hadn’t been there in hours. He wanders around the bunker until he finds Dean slumped over one of the tables in the library, sound asleep on the laptop, an empty coffee mug next to him.

 

He shakes Dean’s shoulder lightly, smiling reassuringly at him when he jolts awake. “Good morning. Is the table more comfortable than our bed?”

 

Dean chuckles softly, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “No, I uh… I got a call last night. About a case.”

 

Castiel sits in the chair next to his hunter, raising his eyebrows. “A case? What’s going on?”

 

Dean stretches and lets out a quiet groan before leaning back in his chair. “Ben called me last night.” Dean watches as his fallen angel’s eyes widen, and chuckles while he nods. “Yeah. Apparently, he remembers everything. There've been people that are becoming… depressed is the best description, I guess. And then they just wither away and die in their sleep. He called me because he remembered I was a hunter and asked me to help him.”

 

Castiel thinks for a moment, humming softly.  “Interesting. Their minds must have reverted to the way they were when I fell.”

 

Dean shrugs, accepting the explanation. “Anyway, I looked into it last night, and there really is a case. There’ve been five deaths so far, and the locals’ve got nothing on it. I was gonna talk with you and Sam and head out there today, make it there by night.”

 

Castiel nods. “Sounds like a good idea. We should eat before we go. I’ll wake Sam.” Dean nods, grabbing his coffee mug and heading to the kitchen. He washes it quickly, putting a fresh pot of coffee on and making them all breakfast.

 

            Castiel walks down the hallway, knocking lightly on Sam’s door. It swings open almost immediately, and Castiel explains what Dean’s found. Sam packs his bag and walks to the kitchen with Castiel, sitting at the table. Dean sets the food on the table and the three of them eat quickly, showering and tossing their bags in the Impala before leaving the Bunker behind.

 

 

*          *          *

            They get to Glendale a few minutes before six in the evening that same day. He drops Sam off at a motel to get them before driving to the address Ben gave him that morning.

 

“How old would he be now?” Castiel’s voice startles him out of his own mind, and he glances over at the fallen angel.

 

“He’d be… Fourteen. Maybe fifteen.” He smiles softly at the thought of the young boy he’d watched grow for the short time he’d been there.

 

“Do you still think he’s yours?” Castiel regards him from the passenger’s seat, watching Dean’s face for a nonverbal response. Dean just shrugs in reply.

 

“Lisa said he wasn’t. Said she did a blood test and knew who the father was.” Castiel raises an eyebrow, but simply falls quiet, deciding not to push the subject.

 

            When they get to the house, Dean parks at the curb, eyes wandering over the property. He feels a reassuring squeeze of Castiel’s hand in his own, and he lets a small smile grace his lips. He turns and presses a kiss to the fallen angel’s lips before stepping out of the car and steeling himself. He glances back to make sure Cas is following before walking to the front door and rapping his knuckles against the wood three times. They stand on the porch for a few minutes before they hear movement on the other side of the door. Dean’s breath catches slightly in his throat as the door swings open, revealing Ben. The more he looks at Ben, though, the more difficult it is to keep drawing air into his lungs. Even Castiel seems to have frozen in time. Standing in front of them is a spitting image of Dean himself at the age of fourteen, staring up at him. Ben smiles and steps back, motioning for them to come inside. When they both manage to regain control of their bodies, they step inside and close the door behind them. Ben is the first to speak.

 

“So, you’re a hunter too?” He looks up at Castiel, an eyebrow raised. Castiel just nods, dumbfounded. Ben glances between them, rocking onto the balls of his feet and nodding. “Alright, good talk. Mom went out to get dinner, but she should be back soon. You guys can stick around for dinner, if you want. She could probably tell you more.”

 

Dean raises an eyebrow. “Why? What does she know?”

 

Ben grins. “Right, you weren’t here. Mom went back to school, she’s a nurse now. Works in the ER. She was there when most of the people were brought in.”

 

Castiel nods in understanding. “Good. We’ll wait here, then.”

 

Dean glances between his angel and Ben, nodding after a moment. “Yeah. We’ll stay.

 

*          *          *

 

It takes Lisa less than a minute to figure out who’s sitting in her house with her son. She’d only ever known one person who owned a classic Impala as well-kept as that one. Her curiosity only grew when she walked inside to find Dean with a dark-haired man in torn jeans and an old band t-shirt, one she was almost sure was Dean’s.

 

“Dean. What’s wrong?”

 

Dean glances between Ben and Lisa, steeling himself once again. “Uh, Ben called us. About all the weird deaths. This is Castiel, he’s… a hunter.”

 

Lisa raises her eyebrows at the pause, but doesn’t push it. “Right, of course. Um… I’ve got takeout, if you’re hungry. I can tell you about it.”

 

Dean smiles softly, nodding. “Yeah. That’d be great.” He follows Lisa to the kitchen, helping her bring the food and drinks into the living room. He sits next to Castiel, pressing their thighs together gently.

 

Lisa raises her eyebrows when she notices how close they’re sitting, handing them plates. “So, you’re a hunter?”

 

Castiel nods, thanking her for the plate. “Recently, yes. Before that, I was an angel.” Dean chuckles when Lisa and Ben’s eyes widen.

 

“An… an angel? Like… With wings?” Lisa asks, glancing between Castiel and Dean.

 

Castiel smiles and nods. “I did have wings, yes.”

 

Ben raises his eyebrows, “But not anymore? What happened?”

 

Castiel shrugs. “I was tricked. My grace was ripped out and I became human. I decided to stay this way and become a hunter.” The looks of disbelief on Lisa and Ben’s faces are almost comical. Dean would laugh if he didn’t feel so fucking guilty about it.

 

The silence stretches between them until Dean visibly winces. “Alright, so what’s going on with all these bodies?”

 

Lisa glances at him, blinking a few times before catching on. “Oh! Right. So, it’s weird. There’ve been six cases where it was a perfectly fit person who just wasted away within three days. There’s not any evidence of sicknesses or anything, either. It’s like their bodies just shut down.”

 

“Yeah, I’d… I’d say that’s weird. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anything like that. Have you, Cas?”

 

Castiel shakes his head. “No, never.”

 

Lisa glances between them, nodding a bit. “Well, you guys are welcome to stay here. We’ve got a spare room you two can sleep in.”

 

Ben groans, glancing at his mom and whispering, “ _Mom_! You can’t just assume they’re together!”

 

Lisa laughs. “Yes, I can. I’ve seen the way Dean looks at people he likes, and he _definitely_ likes Castiel.”

 

Castiel smiles softly at Lisa. “You can call me Cas, if you’d like. Most people do.”

 

Dean jots down a few things in his notebook. “Sam’s with us and he already got us motel rooms. Thank you, though.”

 

Lisa shrugs. “Sam could stay here. The couch is extra-long, he’d fit.”

 

Dean looks up at her. “You really want us to stay?”

 

Lisa smiles. “Yeah. I really do. Call Sam and tell him to come over.” Dean smiles, nodding and excusing himself to call Sam. Castiel looks around the living room curiously, smiling to himself.

 

Ben raises an eyebrow. “So, you and Dean, huh? I didn’t know he was into guys.”

 

Castiel tilts his head curiously. “Oh. Right. You’re talking about my vessel. Dean’s a bisexual.”

 

Ben chuckles to himself.  “Like father like son, I guess.” Dean pauses in the doorway, listening.

 

Castiel raises his eyebrows at Ben. “What do you mean?”

 

Ben smiles sheepishly, shrugging. “This case might not be the only reason I called him…”

 

Castiel chuckles. “So he _is_ your father.”

 

Ben nods, glancing at his mother. “Yeah. He is.” Dean swallows around the lump in his throat, blinking quickly, determined not to cry. So, Ben really was his son. And he’d wiped all of Ben’s memories of him.

 

“Why didn’t you ever tell him?”

 

Lisa shrugs. “The first time he came to see me and Ben, I figured he wouldn’t stay. I didn’t want to force him to stay because he felt like he needed to be there for Ben. And then when he came to live with us, I’d always meant to tell him, I just… didn’t. I didn’t tell Ben until... what, three or four months ago?”

 

Ben nods. “Right around when we remembered him. That was you, right? You wiped him from our memories?”

 

Castiel nods. “At Dean’s request, yes. He felt you would be safer without him and didn’t want you to come looking for him.”

 

“So why did we remember, then?”

 

Castiel smiles. “I believe your memories came back when I lost my grace and fell.”

 

Dean finally feels like it’s safe to reenter the room, so he turns the final corner and steps back into the room, smiling. “Sam’s on the way. You’re sure you’re okay with us staying here?”

 

Lisa chuckles. “Dean, stop asking. I wouldn’t have asked you to stay if it wasn’t okay.” Dean smiles sheepishly, and both Castiel and Lisa pause, both astonished by how alike Dean and Ben look.

 

*          *          *

 

            Sam and Castiel spend the evening getting to know Lisa and Ben, with Dean chiming in occasionally. Ben is the first to head to bed, since he has classes the next day. Lisa follows not long after, directing Dean to the spare sheets and pillows in the hall closet, showing him the spare bedroom. A short fight had erupted between Ben, Lisa, and Dean, the latter insisting that Ben and Lisa stay home while they were hunting. Lisa had simply rolled her eyes and showed Dean the salt on the windows and under the doormats, along with a devil’s trap under all the doors and windows, in addition to the anti-possession charms she and Ben both wore. Dean had raised his eyebrows, obviously impressed, while Lisa just chuckled and reminded him that they’d seen him draw the symbols and she remembered him telling her what his tattoo was for. Dean had chuckled and agreed that it was safe for them to leave the house, if they were careful. Both had rolled their eyes and headed upstairs to their rooms. Dean grabbed sheets and pillows for the couch, grabbing a spare comforter and setting them on the coffee table for Sam.

 

“Wanna head to bed, Cas?”

 

Castiel smiles and nods. “Good night, Sam.” Sam smiles at both of them, making himself a bed on the couch.

 

“There’s a bathroom down the hall if you need it. Cas and I are the second door on the left upstairs.”

 

Sam chuckles. “I’m not a little kid, Dean. I’ll be fine.”

 

Dean rolls his eyes. “We’re here for a case, Sammy. Meaning there’s a monster nearby, one Cas and I have never heard of.”

 

Sam laughs. “Dude, we _hunt_ monsters. I’ve got salt, holy water, and a shotgun under the couch. I’ll be fine.”

 

Castiel smiles, taking Dean’s hand gently and pulling him upstairs. “Sam is a capable hunter. You don’t need to worry about him as much as you do.”

 

Dean shrugs. “Old habits die hard, I guess.” They strip to their boxers, pulling the blankets back and climbing into bed. Dean relaxes back into the comfort of the mattress, yawning softly.

 

“Lisa and Ben are lovely. I see why you enjoyed living with them so much.” Castiel says, his voice barely louder than the wind coming in through the window of their room.

 

Dean hums, shifting onto his side to face Castiel, smiling sleepily. “I like living with you, too.”

 

Castiel tilts his head a bit. “Would that change? If he was your son, would you choose to stay here?”

 

Dean hums. “I’m not sure what I would do. Why?”

 

Castiel shrugs. “Call it curiosity. We should get some sleep if we wish to interview the families tomorrow.”

 

Dean watches him for a moment before nodding and pulling the blankets over them, shutting the light off and whispering into the darkness, “Night Cas.”

 

*          *          *

 

They spend the next morning and half the afternoon interviewing the families of the victims. Dean and Castiel manage to handle the interviews while Sam looks around the house, looking for any signs of supernatural beings. Dean checks in with Lisa and Ben nearly every hour, worrying both Castiel and Sam.

They find a restaurant for dinner, sitting in the corner booth with a clear view of the front door. They spread their notes out on the table, getting comfortable.

 

Dean is the first to speak, “Alright, am I the only one who’s really confused? These people have nothing in common, there no pattern. How are we supposed to find this thing?” The other two hunters shrug, looking at each other.

 

“There has to be something we overlooked. A website they all viewed, or a common place they visited.” Castiel says, picking at his fries when their food arrives.

 

Sam sighs. “Well as far as their browsing in concerned, there were no suspicious websites that matched every person. I managed to get access to their cell phones while you guys were having lunch, and it doesn’t seem like they knew each other. For all intents and purposes, they’re completely random. Like we have a… serial killer monster.”

 

Dean shivers at that. “Jesus, Sam. Don’t give them any ideas, our job is hard enough.” He looks through his notes from the interviews again, tilting his head a bit. “Hey, Cas. What was that place the first vic visited three days before she died?”

 

Castiel pulls his notes to him, looking through them quickly. “Madame Medea’s. It’s a psychic store. Readings, crystals, things like that. Why?”

 

Dean taps his notes, looking between his brother and the former angel, “Because the second and third vics visited the same place. Three days before they died. I guarantee you if we went back and asked the fourth and fifth vics families, they’d say they visited the same place.”

 

Sam nods, looking up the address, “Sounds like something we should check out. It’s a five-minute walk from here. Why don’t we finish eating and head over, see what we’re dealing with?” Dean and Castiel both nod, eating their dinners quickly. Sam leaves money to cover their food and a tip, following Dean and Castiel out of the restaurant. He directs them to the small psychic shop down the street.

 

Dean glances between them, “So what’s our game plan, there?”

 

Sam manages to hold back a smirk, shrugging nonchalantly, “Why don’t you and Cas go in? You could say you want a reading to see your relationship future.”

 

Dean glares at his brother, “You’re an idiot.”

 

Castiel just smiles, shaking his head, “I’ll go. It’s fine.”

 

Dean shakes his head quickly, “No way. Not alone. I’m coming with you.”

 

Sam snorts, “Yeah, I bet you are.” Dean glares at him again, while Castiel just sends him a confused look before he’s tugged into the psychic shop by a ticked-off hunter.

 

Dean plasters a charming smile on his face when he spots the psychic, “Hi. We’re sorry to come so late, but we’d like a reading. See, it’s our date night, and we want to try something different. Are you still doing readings?”

 

The woman, Madame Medea, or so Dean presumes, simply smiles and nods, motioning for them to follow her to the back room. Castiel follows easily, looking around the room. Dean follows the former angel warily, wondering what the hell kind of monster they’re dealing with.

 

“Please, have a seat. Is there anything in particular you were hoping to learn about?” She glances between them, raising her eyebrow.

 

Castiel shrugs, sitting and looking up at Dean, “Not really. Anything you tell us would be interesting to learn.”

 

She seems satisfied by that answer, smiling and nodding at them. Dean takes the seat next to Castiel, watching the psychic carefully, his fingers twitching toward his gun involuntarily. She hums softly to herself, “You two have known each other a long time?”

 

Castiel nods, “Nearly five years now, yes.” Dean suppresses an eye role. Lucky guess.

 

The psychic smiles, “Skeptical, are you? You’re right, no spirits or crystals told me that. It’s obvious you two have a level of comfort only reached after years of knowing a person. That’s why I deal with the future, not the past. Anyone can tell the past, especially with all the technology now. No, I prefer telling people their futures.”

 

Dean raises an eyebrow at her, “Oh? Why’s that?”

 

She chuckles, “It’s fun to watch them doubt me when I tell them what’s going to happen to them. I always enjoy it when they come back to me and tell me everything I’ve told them has come true. Lately, though, my customers haven’t been coming back. I guess Death is paying them a visit before they have a chance.” Dean sees a flash of a smirk on her face, barely reacting fast enough to pull his gun on her before she raises a hand toward them. “Did you think I wouldn’t know you were hunters? They’ve been after me for centuries. They haven’t managed to kill me, why do you think you will?”

 

Dean keeps the gun trained on her, “We’re not them. Put your hand down.”

 

The psychic shrugs, “You’re too late, Mr. Winchester. I’ve already locked you and your angel in here. Now, I’d leave you up here for the night normally; the basement’s a bit cold. But knowing you and your story, you’ll do nothing but cause trouble, and I can’t have that now, can I? I rather like my life here.” She stands, kicking the rug on the floor aside and pulling up a trap door. “Go ahead down, boys. You might as well put the gun away, it won’t hurt me. But if it’d satisfy you to take your anger out, you’re welcome to.”

 

Dean and Castiel glance at each other. Dean trains the gun right between the psychic’s eyes, squeezing the trigger. And then… nothing. Like the bullet was never there.

 

The psychic smirks, “I would’ve been more impressed if you’d brought witch-killing bullets. At least you would’ve been closer. Are you satisfied that the gun won’t do anything now?”

 

Dean clenches his jaw, “Lift the spell.”

 

The psychic laughs, “Now why would I do that? So you can go find out what I am and come back with more hunters to kill me? I don’t think so. Down the stairs, boys. Best to get comfortable, it’s going to be a long night.” She waits for them to move, sighing softly when neither of them makes a move toward the door. She raises a hand again, and suddenly Dean and Castiel are moving toward the stairs, even though neither of them is doing it voluntarily. She closes and locks the door above them. Dean curses softly, putting his gun away and listening to her footsteps retreat, sighing when he hears the front door being locked.

 

“Great. Maybe Sam will be able to get us in.”

 

Castiel shakes his head, “I doubt it. She knew your name, I’m sure she assumed Sam would be here. I doubt he’ll be able to step foot in here.”

 

Dean sighs, putting the flashlight on his phone on so they can see each other, “So what is this thing? It reminds me of a shtriga, but all the victims were adults.

 

Castiel nods slowly, looking around, “It would appear she’s some sort of witch, but I assume from what she said, that’s not the entire picture. We’re missing something.”

 

Dean scrubs his hands over his face, sighing, “Yeah, let me know when you figure out what that is. I can’t think of a damn thing.”

 

*          *          *

 

            Before they know it, they hear the psychic’s footsteps returning. Dean nudges Castiel with his foot gently, trying to wake him. He sits up slightly when Castiel doesn’t move, tapping his leg again. “Cas. Wake up. She’s back, come on. Wake up.” He shifts closer when Castiel still doesn’t wake, shaking him.

 

Castiel blinks up at him tiredly, rubbing his eyes and sitting up, “What? Is she back?”

 

Dean nods, “I can hear her upstairs.”

 

Castiel hums softly, rubbing his eyes, “I think I’ve figured out what she is. Have you ever heard of a psychic vampire?”

 

Dean pauses for a second, nodding after a moment, “Benny mentioned meeting one in Purgatory. I thought he was just lying. What’s it do?”

 

Castiel shifts to face Dean more, “It feeds on humans. Their life force, much like a shtriga does. It’s what makes her immortal, and it explains why all the victims in perfect health just withered away. Did Benny mention how it was killed?”

 

Dean chuckles, “Yeah, actually. He did. It was some Wiccan thing. He said it sounded stupid, but if you did it at night, it worked. Shit, what was it?”

 

Castiel tilts his head slightly, “The Law of Threefold? It would make sense, she’s essentially sending out a spell that siphons off life force. It’s a simple enough spell, we’d just need to recite the words once we hear her leave tonight.”

 

Dean nods after a moment, “Sounds like the best plan we have. You okay? You were tougher to wake than usual.”

 

Castiel shrugs, “I think she’s begun feeding on me. I’m more tired than usual.”

 

Dean’s eyes widen, “Well how can we stop it?”

 

Castiel smiles softly, “I don’t believe we can, not until tonight anyway. I’ll be okay. She can’t siphon off that much at one time, it would overload her.”

 

Somehow that doesn’t calm Dean down, “Yeah, but she’s still taking your life force, Cas. That can’t be good.”

 

He hums, leaning back against the wall, “It’ll come back once she’s gone. Don’t worry, Dean.”

 

Dean lets out a huffing breath, muttering, “That’s like telling me not to breathe.”

 

Castiel hums again, “You got a text message last night before she locked off our service.”

 

Dean raises an eyebrow, pulling his phone out and reading over the text from Ben. He sighs, “Ben asked me to meet him and Lisa for dinner. Last night. Great.”

 

Castiel tilts his head slightly, “Don’t freak out, Dean. Sam knows we’re missing, I’m sure Ben and Lisa will understand why you couldn’t make it to dinner last night.”

 

Dean chuckles, “Not what I was worried about. Last time he called me with a case, he tried to get me and Lisa back together.”

 

Castiel raises an eyebrow, “You think that’s what they’re doing now? They seemed okay with you and me.”

 

Dean nods, looking over the text again. “Yeah. They did. I, uh… heard them. Talking to you.”

 

Castiel smiles softly, nodding, “I figured you had. So, you know about Ben, then?”

 

“That he’s really my kid? Yeah. I always kinda figured he was, you know? He always had the same personality. And then when we got here… I mean, he looks _just_ like I did when I was his age.”

 

Castiel raises his eyebrows, “But?”

 

Dean sighs, “But… I’m a hunter. I don’t want Ben growing up like that. He should go to school and have a normal life and not have to worry about monsters all the time.”

 

Castiel watches him curiously, “He already worries about monsters, Dean. He gave you a case. He’s already in school and he already knows about the supernatural. He’s coping better than most people can ever hope to when they find out about the supernatural. You’ve always wanted a child, Dean. You have one, you should take advantage of it. He loves you.”

 

Dean sighs, scrubbing a hand over his face, nodding slowly, “I know. I just… don’t want him to become a hunter. I’d love for them to come live with us, but… I mean, what kind of place is the Bunker for a kid to grow up?”

 

Castiel chuckles, “For a kid like Ben? I’d think he would enjoy it. Tons of rooms, a giant library. He wouldn’t really be able to have people over, but I don’t think that would bother him much. You should ask them. We could use a nurse, especially if we start letting more and more hunters in on the location.”

 

Dean sighs softly, “I don’t know, man. I’ll think about it.”

 

*          *          *

 

They spend the day dozing on and off, waiting for nightfall. Castiel nudges Dean with his foot when he hears Medea locking the front door of the shop, whispering, “Dean. _Dean_. Wake up.”

 

Dean blinks sleepily at Castiel, yawning and mumbling, “What? What’s wrong?”

 

“It’s nightfall. It’s now or never.”

 

Dean sits up quickly, nodding, “On three?” Castiel nods and they both recite the words under their breath.

 

Castiel sits up after a moment, nodding, “It worked.”

 

Dean raises an eyebrow, “How do you know?”

 

Castiel raises an eyebrow when they hear a thud above them, smirking, “I must just be a very good hunter.”

 

Dean scoffs, “Liar.”

 

Castiel laughs, “I felt her stop siphoning energy off of me. Come on, let’s get out of here.”

 

            They manage to push against the door hard enough to force it open. Dean climbs out first, gripping Castiel’s arm and helping him up. They dust themselves off, glancing at the body on the floor.

 

“So is she… Dead? Like, should we find a place for the body?”

 

Castiel shrugs, glancing at Dean, “Can’t hurt. We might be better off getting the Impala first.” Dean nods in agreement and they slip out the back door, walking back to Ben and Lisa’s house. Dean winces slightly when he catches a whiff of them, knocking on the door softly. The door opens to a very surprised Lisa, who starts to hug Dean. He steps back quickly before she can get her arms around him.

 

“Trust me, you don’t want to do that. We just need the keys to the Impala so we can finish the job, and then showers, and _then_ you can hug us.”

 

Castiel nods in agreement, “We’ve been locked in a cellar for twenty-four hours.”

 

Lisa’s eyes widen as she glances between them, handing Dean the keys, “Go finish whatever you need to and then shower. I’ll make some food for you guys.”

 

Castiel smiles warmly, “That would be lovely. Thank you.”

 

            They drive back to the store and manage to get the vampire’s body into their trunk without being spotted. They drive to a deserted area, salting and burning the body before heading back to Lisa’s house. They both shower, changing into clean clothes and devouring the food Lisa made for them. They all settle on the couch, with Lisa, Ben, and Sam listening intently while Dean and Castiel explain what happened. Sam and Castiel volunteer to clean up the kitchen not long after, though Dean has a sneaking suspicion they only do that because Lisa and Ben want to talk to him. He smiles softly at both of them, shifting a bit in his seat.

 

Ben raises an eyebrow at him, “You know, don’t you?”

 

Dean nods, and Lisa smiles, shaking her head, “I knew I’d never be able to keep it from you. Guess it’s a good thing I don’t want to anymore.”

 

“Why did you hide it from me?”

 

Lisa shrugs, “The first time you came back, you were just going to leave again. I didn’t want to feel like you had to stay. And then when you came to stay after Sam died, I’d always planned on telling you, I just… never got around to it. And then you wiped our memories.”

 

Dean winces, but he doesn’t hear a hint of resentment in her voice. He glances between them, “I’m sorry about that. I know it probably wasn’t the best option, but… if you didn’t remember me, then you wouldn’t be in danger because of me. It seemed like the only option at the time.”

 

Ben raises an eyebrow, “At the time?”

 

Dean nods, glancing toward the kitchen, “We found a place. It’s safe, and warded against almost every supernatural being we know of. It’s a bunker. I know it’s not ideal, and you’ve got a nice place here, but…”

 

Ben’s eyes widen, “Are you asking us to live with you?”

 

Dean nods slowly, glancing at Lisa, “If you’re both okay with it, yeah. There’s a hospital nearby, and we’ve started letting other hunters know about it, god knows we could use someone with actual medical training. I know you’re both established here and you’ve probably got friends, but-”

 

“We’d love to live with you. No matter where.” Dean glances up at Lisa, oddly touched. He smiles softly, and she smiles back.

 

“You’re sure? Both of you?”

 

Ben nods, smiling, “Absolutely. We loved living with you before. I don’t care where we live, I just want my dad.”

 

*          *          *

 

“Dean, you need to relax. It’s gonna be fine.” Dean glares at his little brother, letting out a breath.

 

“Easier said than done, man. What if they hate it here? They already sold their house.”

 

Sam chuckles, “Dean, come on. They want to live with you, no matter where that is. Just take a deep breath and chill out.”

 

Castiel steps into the library, Ben and Lisa in tow behind them. Ben looks around with wide eyes, setting the bags in his hands on the floor. He grins, looking at Dean, “This place is _awesome_! This library is huge! How old are all these books?” He walks around, grinning as he looks at all the old books stored in the Bunker’s library.

 

Lisa smiles, hugging both Sam and Dean, patting Dean’s cheek gently when she sees how stressed he is, “Relax. Ben’s been talking about this since you asked, and I’ve already found a job. You don’t need to worry about us so much.”

 

Dean smiles and relaxes, glancing at Ben, “He has?”

 

Castiel chuckles, stepping close to Dean and wrapping an arm around his waist, “He wouldn’t stop talking about it the entire way here.”

 

Dean grins, watching Ben for a moment, “Cool. Oh, your rooms. Should I show you now?”

 

Lisa hums, nodding, “Mine, at least. I’d like to drop my things in there.”

 

Ben grins, “Mine too! I wanna get settled in before dinner.”

 

Dean smiles, showing both to their rooms before heading back to the kitchen and getting started on dinner. Castiel helps him get everything ready and sets the table in the Bunker’s formal dining room, grabbing drinks for everyone. Dean sets all the food on the table. Sam, Castiel, Lisa and Ben all settle into their seats, passing the food around and getting to know each other. Dean smiles to himself, looking around at everyone surrounding the table. His family. He grins, sitting up and joining in on the conversation, getting to know everything he’d missed in the past few years away from his son.

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe I'm finally posting this ahhhhhhh. I've always loved Lisa's relationship with Dean and how we got to see a whole other side of Dean while he was with them. I'm also absolutely convinced Ben is Dean's kid and no one will ever talk me out of that unless Kripke personally knocks on my door and assures me that Ben isn't Dean's kid, and even then I still might not believe it. 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed this! Comments and kudos are super appreciated and I'll try to answer as fast as I can!
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr [here(:](https://fangirlingtodeath513.tumblr.com/)
> 
> PLEASE DO NOT POST MY WORKS ANYWHERE BUT HERE OR TUMBLR WITHOUT MY EXPRESS PERMISSION.


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